Tucker watched Danny walking. He was walking away. Walking to Sam.

Danny walked right by him.

Sam's gaze passed right over Tucker. She was looking. Looking at Danny.

Sam was smiling at Danny. Danny was kissing Sam.

Tucker was alone.

They don't need you.

"No!"

Tucker grabbed at his hair. His beret had fallen.

"No this isn't right!"

Why not?

"Because they're my friends!"

Are you sure?

Danny was fighting ghosts. He didn't even break a sweat. The ghost vanished into the Thermos. Danny grabbed Sam and they left.

Where do you play into this?

"I'm there with them. I know I am!"

They were at the mall. Danny and Sam were holding hands. They were deciding on what movie to see.

Tucker brought his fist to his mouth. He bit his flesh until it bled.

There was no pain.

Without others, there is no pain.

Without others, you are free to be yourself.

"I am myself! With Danny and Sam, I know who I am!"

An who are you?

"I'm Tucker Foley."

Who is Tucker Foley?

"I'm the child of Angela and Maurice Foley. I love my PDA, I'm looking for a girlfriend... I... I..."

Tucker crouched. He wrapped his arms around his knees. He screamed.

Is that all you are?

"Who am I?!"

Isn't it better to just give in? Here, you are all you need.

"You're my friend."

Tucker blinked. Tears fell. A glowing blur stood before him.

"You've been my best friend since first grade. You were the first person I got in trouble with. You're the one who told me being an astronaut would be cool."

Something tall and dark appeared.

"You challenge me. You go toe to toe to me and you don't back down."

The glowing form came closer. "Without you, I'm alone."

The dark figure came closer. "Without you, I'm alone."

They don't mean that. How can they be alone when they're together?

Tucker looked at Danny and at Sam.

He smiled at them.

They smiled back.

"Because we're friends."

Tucker reached out for them.


Tucker gasped for breath, cheek stinging from where Sam had slapped him.

"Damnit, Tucker, don't you dare die on us!"

He groaned, ignoring the wetness that was dripping on his forehead. Sam would kill him if he said anything. "What happened?"

"Is he ok?!" Danny shouted, hands glowing a desperate green. He was cut up and bleeding, a deep fear in his eyes even after the battle.

"That ghost had some kind of crazy shadow – it ate you up and you vanished," Sam told him. Tucker reached up to adjust his glasses, but they weren't there. Probably in whatever weird dimension he was in. "We only just got you back."

Danny settled next to Tucker, resting a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, man."

Tucker smiled.

"I'm glad I'm here, too."


Guess who spent all day watching Neon Genesis Evangelion~?